Sleeve holder or clasp.



G. M. BURGESS.

SLEEVE HOLDER OR CLASP. APPLIOATIQN FILED $32113, 1912.

. 1 0 3 3 5 v Patented Jan.6,1914.

Y/ML/ $1 TED srarns Ann GARDNER M. BURGESS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

snnnvn HOLDER on ornsr.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. e, 1am.

Application filed September 13, 1912. Serial No. 720,115.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, GARDNER M. BURGESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain i of shirts or other apparel in folds, to shorten their length, and for similar purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a relatively small, light, and neat device adapted to gather the folds of the sleeve together and hold them firmly without piercing or tearing the cloth.

A further object of my improvement is to dispense with elastic straps or bands generally made use of in devices of this kind.

The invention is fully set forth in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which t Figure 1 is an enlarged end view of my new device, showing it opened to receive the folds of the sleeve; Fig. 2, a similar enlarged view showing the device closed; Fig. 3, an enlarged side view of the device with the parts shown in closed relation; Fig. 4:, an enlarged plan view showing the holding clamp released; Fig. 5, a view showing the device applied to a shirt-sleeve.

My improved device consists essentially of two hinged members a and 6 adapted to be sprung together over the fold of cloth, and having a holding clamp 0 arranged to partly encircle the members to bind them together. The members a and b are preferably semicircular in form and are hinged together in any suitable manner. As here shown, the member a has an ear a curled around to receive the hinge-pin cl and adapted to fit in between two similar ears t, b on the member I), through which the 'pin (Z also extends with its ends headed over at d, d. The free end of the member Z) is adapted to spring over the end of the member a, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, and is preferably curled back in a lip or fingergrip b to facilitate engaging and disengaging the two halves of the holder.

The holding clamp 0 is preferably formed of spring-metal, bent in circular shape and proportioned to fit the exterior of the two members a and b when the latter are sprung together as illustrated in Fig. 2. I have preferred to show the clamp c as being about one-half the width of the members a and b at its hinged end and tapering gradually'to its free'end which is curled back at c to provide a finger-piece by which it can be released. The clamp 0 is hinged on the member a and extendsapproximately twothirds around the circumference of the members a and b when they are closed so as to clamp them firmly together. Any suitable means might be employed for hinging the clamp 0 on the member a, but I prefer to construct the hinge as follows in order to simplifythe manufacture of the parts.

Referring to Fig. 8, the member a is pierced with a rectangular opening a and i the sides of the opening are continued in the slits a a In other words, the stock is cut down beyond the edge of the opening so that the portion a? between the slits a a can be bent out to allow the insertion of the hingebar 0 of the clamp c. The hinge-bar 0 is formed at the rear end of the clamp a by simply cutting out portions of the stock from its sides and curling the end over as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the bar 0 being rounded ofi to provide for smoother action. In assembling the parts the slitted portion a is bent out to allow the hinge-bar c to pass through the opening o by turning the clamp c crosswise of the member a, and after the hinge is in place the portion a is bent back again to hold the hinge-bar from displacement.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the device oper ates as follows: The shirt or coat-sleeve s is gathered in a fold or pucker 7", to take up as much of its length as desired, and the two members a and b are then clasped around the fold and sprung together; after which the clamp c is snapped down over the two halves of the holder to prevent their release. It will be noted that two thicknesses of the cloth will intervene between the ends of the members a and b which clasp together over the fold and the natural spring tendency of the members allows for this, while tending to bind and hold the fold from slipping. It is also to be noted that there are no teeth or sharp projections to catch and tear the cloth and no coiled springs or other complicated parts to the clasp. 'Furtherniore, my new device is much more durable than the usual elastic bands or straps sometimes employed for a similar purpose, since elastic deteriorates quickly in use and soon loses its resiliency and becomes dead. It will also be realized that my new clasp will not bind the arm and stop circulation, as circular bands or garters are apt to do. The inclosing space in the clasp is large enough to accommodate a liberal fold of cloth, so that a considerable length of the sleeve can be taken up, and the device is exceptionally easy to apply and remove. Its structure is exceedingly simple and proof against breakage or derangement and as the parts can be struck up or formed in dies the cost of manufacture is very small.

It is to be understood that my new device is not limited to use solely as a sleeve-holder, but might also be employed as a stocking supporter for securing socks or stockings to underwear and for other purposes where a clasp is required.

Various modifications might also be made in the form and structure of the parts of the device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as claimed.

Therefore, without limiting myself to the exact details shown and described, what I claim is 1. In a clasp, the combination of two semicircular members hinged together at one end with their opposite free ends adapted to be sprung together one over the other, and a clamp pivoted on one member to swing in the same plane as the hinged members to adapt it to slide over the outer surface of the other member to partly encircle both members and hold them in engagement.

2. In a clasp, the combination of two semicircular members hinged together at one end with their opposite free ends arranged to overlap each other and the end of one member curled outward to adapt it to slide freely over the end of the other member, and a semicircular clamp pivoted on one of the members on an axis parallel with the axis of the hinge of said members and having its free end curled outward to adapt it to slide over the outer surface of the other member, said clamp arranged to partly encircle both members to bind them together.

3. In a clasp, the combination with a semicircular member a formed with an open ing a and a portion a adapted to be bent out to enlarge the opening, of a semicircular member 6 hinged on the member a with its free end adapted to overlap the latter, and a spring clamp 0 having a hinge-bar adapted to be inserted through the opening a and held in position by the portion a said clamp arranged to be sprung around the members a and b to hold them together.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GARDNER M. BURGESS. lVitnesses:

GEORGE BLACKBURN, HERBERT K. ALLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents, Washington, D. G. 

